Manufacture of thick-soled or platform shoes



May 7,194o. F,L AYERS 2,199,868

MANUFACTURE OF THICK-SOLED OR PLATFORMv SHOES Filed May l1, 1938 7255/22/51? 4Z/m' jin/M! ff/fw l Patentedy May 7, 1940 PATENT ori-*lcs MANUFACTUBE oF 'rules-somo on PLATFORM .snoEs Fred L. Ayers, Watertown, Mass.. assigner to Brown Company, Berlin, N. H.; a corporation ofMaine Application May 11, 1938, Serial No. 207,298

, 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of thick-soled or so-called platform shoes. While not limited thereto, it deals more especially with platform shoes made by the cement-process of shoemaking.

Thick-soled or platformshoes for women are made essentially as ordinarily, excepting that a comparatively thick layer or mid-sole, 'hereinafter termed the platform sole, is inserted or 10 added between the insole and outsole of the shoe.

Such added sole not only makes possible a nnished shoe with an attractive edge or trim thereon but, in the case of a short-statured woman. y

serves to increase her height appreciably. There l5 is usually, however, the decided objection to a platform shoe in that it does not, on account of thefthickness of its platform sole, flex as readily as is desired at its forepart or ball portion. 'I'his lack of desired iiexibility in the forepart, which exists even when comparatively flexible material is used for the platform sole, has stood in the way of a much larger vogue for the platform-shoe.

The main objective of the present invention is to achieve the desired flexibility in the forepart of a platform shoe whose platform sole is of conj siderable thickness, for instance, of a thickness y much greater than the usual outsole. While part of the desired exibility may be realized by using as the platform sole comparatively flexible material, such as "Onco or its equivalent (i. e., artificial leather consisting of bonded plies of a rubber-impregnatedvfelt or paper web) and still more flexibility realized by slashing the platform sole transversely at its forepart, ason its face against which the outsole is secured, yet ythese expedients, neither singly nor conjunctively conduce to a shoe of the desired flexibility at its forepart. This lack of ilexibilityis attributable in substantial measure to the tendency forthe out` sole, on account of the considerable thickness of the platform sole, to slide or creep inwardly of the toe portion of the thick platform sole when the forepart of the shoe is exed; but, inasmuch as the outsole is secured to the platform sole so ture comprisingy an outsole and a platform sole-is Y avoided in the nished shoe by preliminarily l uniting such soles, as with suitable cement, while their foreparts are in suitably preflexed condition,

luse.

that is, while their foreparts are prefiexed to an angle or curvature approximating or slightly more than the maximum angle or curvature of fiexure occasioned in the course of use of the finished shoe to which the composite structure is -5 subsequently secured.. This means that the outsole has alreadyl been permitted to slide or creep inwardly relative to the platform sole to the extent that it would otherwise tend to slide or creep but would be prevented from so doing in a platl0 form shoe as heretofore made. 'I'he composite platform and outsole structure hereof thus acquires at its 'forepart a curvature corresponding to the curvature that is to be assumed thereby m che mashed shoe when the forepart of the shoe l5 'is flexedy to approximately maximum or slightly more than the maximum curvature in ordinary By providing a platform sole of appropriate stretchability and/or in appropriately slashed condition, it is possible readily and permanently 20 to restore the composite preilexed sole structure,

as during its securement to .the lasted shoe-upper assembly, to its normal shape on the shoe, that is,

to provide the normal or substantially dat shoesoie forepart. Because the composite sole struc- 25 ture has thus already been conditioned or "broken in for flexing at its forepart, the nished shoe exhibits the desired ready or substantially normal flexibility at its forepart.

With the foregoing and other features and 30 objects in view, the invention hereof will now be described with particular reference to the accom- Danying drawing, wherein,

Figure l depicts in perspective a platform sole -:such as is useful for the purposes hereof, the 35 usual edge-trim' or edge-binder fabric thereof being removedfor sake of clarity at the toe portion. A

Figure 2 representsl a longitudinal section through a sole-preilexing last withthe composite 40 platform sole and outsole structure appropriately conformed to the last bottom and with such soles cemented together.

Figure 3 is a section through the composite sole structure after its removal from the preexing or s preshaping last.

Figure 4 represents a transverse section through the forepart of the lasted shoe-upper assembly and the composite sole structure just 5 before the latter has been cemented to the insole and the over-lasted shoe upper margins.

-Figure 5 is a side elevation of the lasted shoeupper assembly with the composite sole structure cemented thereto and undergoing the `pressure of u on the foot of the wearer.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a solepreexing base mold on which a numberof' preflexed and preshaped composite s'ole structures may be simultaneously produced.

Figure 8 is a, section through the mold of Figure Iimmediately after the upper or presser mold has been raised from the preflexed and preshaped composite sole structures.

The platform'sole I0 shown in Figure l may consist of a number of plies of a rubber-impregnated felt or paper web in facially bonded relationship. Thus, it may consist of the artificial leather material known on the market as 0nco, which material consists of an absorbent paper web or base, such as a loosely felted web of refined wood pulp, that has been impregnated with a rubber latex composition and then dried. A number of the dried, latex-impregnated webs may be facially bonded together, as by rubber latex, into a plied structure, for instance, one of about 1A to 1/2" thiclmess and especially suitable for use as the stock for the platform sole hereof by reason of its comparatively high flexibility and high internal ply strength. It is desirable that the outer or lower face of the platform sole I0 be slashed transversely at closely spaced intervals at its ball zone, as on a-plurality of lines of slash II, which may occur at intervals of, say, about l/i, and extend deeply into the sole, say, to approximately half its thickness. The slashed area may commence at approximately the front vshank line and leave off at the toe. As ordinarily, an edge-trimming or edge-binding strip I2 of suitable fabric, such as shoe-upper leather or lacquer-finished cloth, may

0, be cemented all around the sole edge with its margins lapping and adhesively united to both sole faces. In cementing the strip I2 to the sole edge, as by theiusual continuous strip-cementing machine, the operator preferably iiexes the sole I0 to approximately the configuration to be assumed thereby upon its being prefiexed and preshaped, as shown in Figure 2, thereby minimizing the formation of wrinkles in the cemented strip when the edge-trimmed sole undergoes the preflexing and preshaping operation.

The edge-trimmed platform sole I0 is placed on a last I3 whose configuration may be substantially similar to that of the last on which the shoe is made, excepting that its bottom forepart I3a has an angularity or curvature approximating or slightly more than the maximum fiexure angularity or curvature ensuing in the forepart of the finished shoe upon normal wear. The heel portion of the sole I0 may be fixed to the last, as by a tack I4, whereupon a suitable' cement, such as the usual pyroxylin cement used in making cement-process shoes, may be appliedV to the solel I0 as a thin coat I5 from its back shank-line to its very tip; and an ordinary leather outsole i6, whose shape substantially matches that of the sole Ill, may be similarly daubed with the cement on its face to bev applied to the sole I0. The superposed, substantially coinciding soles are then permanently united into a composite structure on the last I3 while they are being pressed, as by the usual inflated rubber bag used in cement 'shoe manufacture, into conformity with the bottom of the last I3 and maintained in such conformity until the cement has set or hardened.v

Upon removal from composite sole structure has the longitudinal curvature or conguration illustrated in Figure 3. It might'be noted that the cuts or slashes II in the outer face of the platform sole III facilitate the flexing and conformation of the composite sole structure to the bottomof the last. I3. `Indeed, they permit the outer layers of the platform sole to take on readily at the forepart the desiredv preflexed contour, since they open up,

as indicated in Figure 2, to provide the necessary give of theouter layers without need for rupturi`ng or stretching such layers, as would be necessary in their absence; and they also make possible the desired ready subsequent restoration of the forepart of the platform sole to fiat normal condition when the composite sole structure is united to the bottom ofthe lasted shoe-upper assembly. As appears in the drawing, the platform solle may beabout twice as thick as the outsole, whose thickness may, as ordinarily, be about Pg of an inch and consist of ordinary sole leather.

The preflexed and preshaped composite sole structure may then be secured to a shoe-upper assembly lasted, as customarily,l for cementprocess shoe manufacture.- Thus, as shown in Figure 4, a last I'I may carry the completed shoeupper assembly I8 whose upper margins I8 are over-lasted and secured,. as by cementand/or tacks or the like, to the insole 20 and are appropriately trimmed for application of the sole structure thereto. If desired, the over-lasted margins of the shoe upper and the insole may be suitably roughened or abraded, as usual, preparatory to the application thereto of a coat 9 of cement for bonding the composite sole structure thereto from the heel end to the toe end. After thus applying cement to the bottom of the lasted shoe-upper assembly and, -if desired, also as acoat 8 to the inner face 2I of the' composite sole structure, the composite sole structure is placed on the cement-coated bottom of the shoe-upper assembly and the sole structure is, as indicated in Figure 5, pressed into conformity with the bottom of the shoe-upper assembly and the bottom of the shoe last, as by the uniform pressing action of the usual inated rubber bag 22 well known to those skilled in the art. It will be aP- preciated that, because the shank and heel portions of the composite sole structure have been preshaped to thecurvature to be assumed thereby in the finished shoe, no trouble whatever is encountered in conforming these portions of the composite sole structure to the shape of the lastl` for the finished shoe; and the preexed forepart of such structure is also readily pressed t0 the desired fiat condition against the forepart of the insole 20 and the over-lasted shoe-upper margins I9, particularly as the inner and outer layers of the platform sole readily readiust themselves to a at condition at the forepart as does the outsole. The composite sole structure is thus keptrpressed in cemented relationship against the bottom of the lasted lshoe-upper assembly the last. the prefabricated. l'

of the outsole may be accomplished at any suit-v able stage ofthe methodhereof, for instance,`

versely at the ball zone of its inner face (i. e.,

the face lying next to the insole) rather than being slashed at its outer face; and such slashing is also vadvantageous for realizing ,the desired flexibility in the finished platform shoe and also for realizing the desired preexed conformation of the composite or cemented platform soleiand outsole structure to the bottom of the preexing last, since the inner layers of the platform sole, especially with V-shaped slashes therein, may-be freely flexed in the absence of undue and undesirable crowding and wrinkling thereof such as tends to' occur when such layers undergo compression in unslashed condition under the exure incident to conformation to the bottom of the preshaping last. Itis hence usually preferable in the practice of the instant invention to slash the platform sole transversely at the ball zone on both its inner and outer faces, the slashes preferably taking the form of V-shaped notches extending into the body of the platform to a depth of, say, onequarter the thickness of such4 sole. The transverse lines of slash on the outer face of the platform sole may be desirably staggered relative to the transverse lines of slash on the inner face of such sole (with intervals, of say, about 1/4" between the slashes on leach'face) in which latter case each set of slashes may be of a depth about one-half the thickness of the platfform sole. Again, it might be noted that the union of the platform sole with the outsole while their foreparts are in the desired preflexed con-` dition on the preflexng last may be accom-*f may terminate short of the heel end, say, at the plished by expedients other than or additional to cement, for instance, stitches and/or tacks or the like. However. ,the union of the platform sole and the outsole with their fcrepa'rts in desirably preflexed condition is most readily and economically accomplished with cement, as already described; and, when a stitched union of such soles is desired, the stitching is preferably done after the soles of the composite sole structure -have been cemented together in desirably prefiexed condition, as illustrated in Figure 3. In

such latter case, the cement may be regarded l temporary configuration; and the stitching may be regarded as the means for ensuring a permanent union of the soles in the finished shoe.

'I'he method hereof fits nicely into the scheme of usual cement-shoe manufacture, for the last Il may replace every alternate last of the endless shoe-last conveyor used in making Compo" shoes.l In other words, one last of the conveyor may deliver to an operator the completed shoeupper assembly and the next last deliver a` composite sole structure with its soles cemented together in .preexed and preshaped condition. The operator may cement the composite sole structure to the bottom of the lasted shoe-upper assembly; and the lasted shoe-upper assembly together with the sole structure applied thereto l 'tom of the lasted shoe-upper assembly until the 3 last-conveyor y,mayv simply carry the 'preflexing .lasts I3 on which the composite sole structures hereof are produced in properly preexed and preshaped condition for securement to the bottom of the lasted shoe-upper assemblies; and another last-conveyor may carry the -lasted shoeupper assemblies to whose bottoms the preflexed and preshaped composite sole structures hereof are cemented and conformed, as already described.

In some instances, the composite sole structure may be formed up inthe desired `preiiexed and preshaped condition as a plurality of units in a suitable mold, as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. 'I'he base mold 25 may, in such case, have a configuration similar to that'of the bottom of the last I3. A plurality of composite sole structures may be produced by cementing the edge-'trimmed or edge-bound and preferably slashed platform soles in fiat condition to the outsoles'and then placing the flat composite structures 26 on the base mold 25. Thereupon, the upper or presser mold 21 may be brought down against the composite sole structuresy to unite and press them permanently to the conguration of the base mold. After the composite sole structures have set in the desired preflexed or preshaped condition, the presser mold 21 may be raised and the Y platform sole material. Thus, any other suitable material, preferably of greater flexibility and stretchability than sole leather, such as felts or paddings, sheeted cork compositions, etc., may be used as the platform sole material; and, in some instances, the platform sole need not extend from the toe end to the heel end of the shoe but front shank line or at the back shank line. In other words, the ornamental and platform or height-increasing effect of a platform sole is usually desired only in the forepart of a shoe, in consequence of which the vplatform sole may be essentially only a forepart member. Again, the invention hereof is applicable to other than cement-process shoes, for instance, to McKay shoes, Littleway lockstitch shoes, welt shoes, etc. In other words, the composite sole structure, inclusive of the platform sole and the outsole, with its sole cemented together or otherwise united and preexed at their foreparts may, as Vherein'- before described, be secured or fastened to the bottom of a lasted shoe-upper assembly designed for any desired make of shoe, lthat is, a shoe to which the composite sole structure hereof is cemented or stitched. The essence of the present invention hence lies in the preflexing of the forev, parts of the platform sole and the outsole, the

of such assembly. It is thus possible by the present invention to realite readily and economically the desired flexibility in the forepart` of a platform shoe.

I claim:

1. A composite sole structure for a platform shoe comprising an outsole and a markedly thicker platform sole in facially cemented relationship with their foreparts exed to a curvature to be assumed thereby upon exing of the forepart of the iinished shoe during its-normal wear, said platform sole being transversely slashed at its ball zone.

2. A composite sole structure for a platform shoecomprlsing a leather outsole and a markedly thicker platform sole in racially cemented relationship wlth'their foreparts exed to a curvature to be assumed thereby upon exing of the forepart of the finished shoe during its normal wear, said platform sole being of a material more ilexible than -the leather outsole and being transversely slashed at lts ball zone.

3. A composite sole structure for a platform shoe comprising a leather outsole and a markedly thicker platform sole in facially cemented relationship with their foreparts exed to a curvature to be assumed thereby upon flexing of the forepart of the nished shoe during its normal wear, vsaid platform sole being essentially multiply rubber-impregnated paper web material of greater flexibility than the leather outsole and being transversely slashed at its ball zone.

4. A prefabricated, composite sole structure for a platform shoe comprising a leather outsole and a markedly thicker, substantially coinciding platform sole in facially cemented relationship with their foreparts exed to a curvature to be assumed thereby upon flexing of the iorepart of the nished shoe during its normal wear, said platform sole consisting of material more exible than the leather outsole and being transversely slashed at its bah sone and the edge of said platform sole'being protected by strip material lapping its faces and cemented thereto.

5. In a method yof making a-platform shoe, those steps which comprise providing a leather outsole and a platform sole of greater thickness and more iiexible material than saidoutsole, slashing the platform sole transversely at its ball zone, and simultaneously cementing together and conforming said outsole and platform solein superposed relationship to the bottom of a last whose bottom shape is substantially similar to that of the nished shoe excepting that its forepartds of a curvature corresponding to the iiexed curvature to be assumed by the composite sole structure upon' flexing of the forepart of the nished shoe during its normal wear.

6. In a method of making a platform shoe, those steps which comprise providinga leather outsole and a platform sole of greater thickness and of more exible material than said outsole. slashing the platform sole transversely at its ball zone, cementing to the edge of said platform sole a covering strip in lapping relationship to its faces, and simultaneouslycementing together and conforming said outsole and platform sole in superposed relationship to the bottom of a last whose bottom shape is substantially similar to that of the nished shoe excepting that its forepart is of a curvature correspondingV to the flexed 'curvature to be assumed by the composite sole structure upon ilexing of the. forepart of the finished shoe during its normal wear.

man L'. AYEas. 

